Govt picks envoys to Australia, Qatar, Bangladesh and Spain

KATHMANDU, June 8: The government has picked ambassador to various four countries including Australia.

According to highly-placed government sources, the government has recommended Mahesh Dahal as Nepali ambassador to Australia and Narad Bharadwaj as ambassador to Qatar. Similarly, Dr Banshidhar Mishra and Dawa Phuti Sherpa have been named as ambassadors to Bangladesh and Spain, respectively.

While Dahal is close relative to Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Bharadwaj is a trusted colleague of Prime Minister Oli right since Jhapa movement spearheaded by then underground communist party. A retired professor of history at Tribhuvan University, Bharadwaj, spent 12 years in prison along with Prime Minister Oli during the Panchayat days.

Similarly, Sherpa is a tourism entrepreneur by profession, while Mishra is former State Minister for Health and the central member of ruling NCP. He was elected as lawmaker from Rautahat.

A cabinet minister confirmed the appointments. He, however, did not give details for he is not supposed to speak to media.

Sources said Dahal, who also served as chairman of Nepal Television, was recommended as ambassador to Australia by NCP Chairman Dahal. The post was laying vacant after then Ambassador Lucky Sherpa decided to step down amid controversy of her alleged involvement in human smuggling.
Sources said Bhardwaj was named as envoy to Qatar at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, while senior NCP leader Madhav Kumar Nepal had proposed Mishra for Bangladesh.

Earlier, Oli cabinet had decided to recall then Nepali ambassadors serving in Bangladesh (Dr Chop Lal Bhushal), Spain (Bharat Bahadur Rayamajhi) and Qatar (Ramesh Koirala). While Bhusal and Koirala and were appointed as per the recommendation of Nepali Congress, Rayamaji was appointed as per the recommendation made by Rastriya Prajatantra Party.